Studies of Man. By a Japanese. (Triibner.)—The " Japanese "
pro- bably belongs to the same family as that "Citizen of the World" whose astonishment at the manners and customs of England is so admirably depicted by Goldsmith. But there is scarcely a pretence of keeping up the character which he assumes. He talks about education, religion, and science, and touches upon certain points of political economy, and certain social questions, just as any other Englishman of a sceptical turn, with a certain amount of information, and a- tolerable power of expressing himself in literary language, might do. Dis main object, we gather, is to supersede the teacher of religion 'by the teacher, of science; and his most important dictum, that there is no necessary connection between religion and morality. It may be so, but the ex- periment can never be fairly tried till you have contrived to create an atmosphere from which the subtle influences of religion have been
excluded. At present, reasoners like the "Japanese" forget that the sanctions of religion lie behind the morality of civilised mankind, and that they themselves, however decided their unbelief, cannot rid them- selves of inherited dispositions and external influences, both, in a great measure, of religions origin. But if these questions are to be discussed, let it be done with seriousness. The "Japanese" is serious enough, indeed, not to say dull, but a pseudonym of this kind disposes one to look for lively satire.
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